By Jerry Long, October 25, 2010
In Part 9, Hunt Day 6, of the African Archery Safari series with Dries Visser Safaris in the Republic of South Africa I have a blast hunting warthogs from a Primos Double Bull blind with my PH and the landowner’s son.
21 August 2010 – Hunt Day 6
We agreed on a late start, 0700 for breakfast and 0730 for departure. Ben accompanied us to a new ranch where Kerneels parlayed with the owner for awhile. There were impala ewes trying to get in his yard, monkeys were encroaching on the other side and he was feeding the guinea hens. We checked out a location, decided on a pop-up blind and ran back to the citadel. We chased the blind down in the field where it was well brushed in. We took both the blind and as much brush as we could haul.
Back at the ranch we checked the wind and set up within ten yards of a water tank. We brushed in the blind as well as we could in a hurry. Stephan, the landowner’s young son, joined us for the sit. I wasn’t sure how I would shoot if it came to it, but I’d try.
The Primos Double-Bull blind as we were disassembling it – I forgot to take a picture before we started.
In a short period of time we were surrounded by eland. There were huge old bulls, cows and calves that could not have been more than a few days old. They came in for some time and went away. Later, they came back. Shortly after that a herd of blesbok came in and watered. Females and young warthogs would come in, but they were definitely not shooters. Many were very smart, circling down wind and avoiding us altogether.
A beautiful old blue eland cow.
Blesbok drink from the waterhole with eland in the background.
Cow and calf eland.
A red warthog with a sub-prime eland bull in the background.
Three little piggies.
The blesbok grunted and groaned, impala butted heads, eland hung around. Then they all disappeared. Stephan spied an ostrich with young smaller than North American turkeys. Immature and female warthogs continued to come to water and/or wind us.
Kerneels, a budding primary school teacher in his final year of school, had coached Stephan’s football (soccer) team the previous year so they bantered about the entire morning. Stephan got punchier as time went by. He would alert us to a warthog from the back or side by saying, “varker,” which is short for warthog, vlak-vark (say that three times fast), in Afrikaans.
There was no zebra dung to burn for cover scent so a try was made with eland dung - a failed experiment, but a fun try none-the-less.
At some point one of us looked out of the blind at the waterhole to see a decent male warthog staring at the blind window. I grabbed my bow while Kerneels set up the camera. When I got the green light I asked about shot placement since the hog was up on the water tank and slightly quartering to. Upon Kerneel’s reply I began aiming, but taking my time to ensure a good shot. Just then a flock of little birds erupted and the wartie jumped down and faced quartering away from us.
I had been sitting on a plastic lawn chair and had been planning to shoot from my knees, but there was not time. As Kerneels readied the camera I ensured I had a good squatting foundation. When I had the green light I focused on the indentation behind the elbow and let fly.
I never saw the arrow strike, but I saw a racquetball-sized spot of blood form just under where I had aimed. The hog exploded and I watched it as long as I could. Stephan was convinced it was a great shot. Kerneels reviewed the footage and thought maybe it was a tad low, but was very positive. I got his “high five” seal of approval.
Ben was called in and while we waited Stephan and I filled up aardvark holes with recycled coffee, soda and water. My arrow was found right away, covered in blood from tip to nock. A decent blood trail was quickly picked up. Despite the red earth, the often-times red grass and the red-splotched leaves, I think I could have followed the blood trail. They still moved extremely quickly following both tracks and blood. Within seventy yards Ben and Kerneels spotted my hog lying in the grass.
The warthog’s final death dive.
Stephan and I with my warthog.
We took pictures and video with Stephan and Ben and then headed back to the lodge. We discussed the possibility of obtaining a baboon permit, but I’m not sure what the outcome was. It was short notice. I would never have considered shooting one prior to this trip, but after witnessing their marauding,
destructive and violent behavior I now have no reservation about attempting to take one out.
Regardless I still had two more hunting days left but didn’t want to blow out my budget. I wanted to shoot some more guineas as practice for turkey hunting and to test out the effectiveness of my Wasp JakHammers. Turns out it was too late to obtain a baboon permit. That was ok. Dries said I could shoot cull warthogs for a bargain price and that was good with me.
We had eland filets for dinner with barley, peas (very good), curry cabbage and crème torte for dessert. The fillet was cooked perfectly and was very good.
Once again thanks for taking the time to join me here on dustyvarmint’s Mostly Archery. The adventure continues next week.
happy hunting, dv
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